What A Pair
by analise17
Summary: Summary: AU, AH, HS fic. Cagalli, Kira, his girlfriend Lacus, and their long-time friend Athrun go on a sea-side camping trip. Weeks before the end of summer Cagalli regrets giving in to Kira's latest ploy to mend their groups dynamic offset by her and Athrun's cold war. If only her older brother hadn't chosen her favorite beach, and of only that had been his only scheme.
1. Chapter 1: What Really Warrants Murder?

Summary: AU, AH, HS fic. Cagalli, Kira, his girlfriend Lacus, and their long-time friend Athrun go on a sea-side camping trip. Weeks before the end of summer Cagalli regrets giving in to Kira's latest ploy to mend their groups dynamic offset by her and Athrun's cold war. If only her older brother hadn't chosen her favorite beach, and of only that had been his only scheme for the weekend.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Merely sharing the sandbox in my mind, also I have no beta, I am beta-less - which sounds like I don't have a fish - so be kind and help me find any typos. I also don't own the picture so if you know who does please tell me, it was reposted on the web and I don't know who to attribute. :(

AN: Here's the fic I promised, I hope it helps offset the angst of "In Distress." Also, I realize that our favorite teenagers might seem OOC, but please understand that in this fic they are all (pretty) normal high schoolers: no war, no coordinators, no homes torn apart from politics or revenge; so the characters' normal angst is taking a vacation in this story. It's just a YA summer fic. Enjoy and Happy Valentine's Day!

* * *

 **Chapter 1: What really warrants murder?**

"Hey, Cagalli, are you coming?" Her brother's voice broke through the blonde's musings, her thoughts far away across the sea and sand. Time and time again she lost herself in the swell and slope of the tide breaking on the shore, glistening off the nearing rays of evening light. Ever since the beginning of summer break, Cagalli had been spacing out more and more as her emotions weighed heavily on her mind.

Turning, still caught in thought, she approached the picnic table and came to stand next to Kira, her older brother, and the open seat next to the brunette, ignoring the look coming across the table from her brother's childhood friend, Athrun. Lacus, Kira's strawberry blonde girlfriend, for once sat across from him and next to Athrun completing the square. "Umm, what's up?"

"Dinner's ready Cags! You gonna make us starve?" Her brother's cheerful tone cut through her suspicions, plus her stomach chose right then to growl. A sweet giggle and hearty gwaffle were joined by a throaty chuckle, the last bringing a blush to her cheeks and made her avoid the blue haired young man's glance from across the table even more.

"Yeah, let's eat." Sitting down next to her brother she planned to eat as quickly as possible then retire to her tent. Kira had been clumsily trying to fix whatever change in their group dynamic had occurred between herself and Athrun. When her brother had suggested this beach camping trip Cagalli knew it spelled more trouble but she folded at the chance to visit the seaside. Plus she hoped that Lacus would rein him in a bit, or at least distract him.

Hating the silence Cagalli decided to chatter while filling her plate and tasting each dish. "This smells great guys! All I did was roast the corn. Who flavored the stew, it's delicious!"

"Thanks, it's my mom's recipe." The voice came from across the table making her freeze for half a second, then, continue eating with a nod. She could feel his eyes on her and could feel the warmth in his tone but she didn't look up either. "If you're interested I could show you how to make it sometime" the faceless voice ventured.

Quickly backtracking despite the disapproval she could feel from her left. "Thanks Athrun, but don't worry about it. I'm a hopelessly bad cook – just ask Kira."

It was quiet for a moment, and strangely Lacus hadn't said a thing since Cagalli sat down. She was about to ask Lacus if she was feeling alright when suddenly the pink haired girl gave a deep sigh. Carefully training her gaze on Lacus to ask her what was wrong Cagalli was distracted by Kira who turned to her, and at the same time Lacus turned to murmur her own question to Athrun.

"Could you pass me the salt?" Kira asked off handedly.

Her answer of "sure" had her left hand darting for the shaker in front of her while her right still held her spoon only to find warm steady fingers already around the capsule and lifting it up off the table. Eyes wide she reflexively looked up to meet a green pair equally shocked. Before she could get past her thought of _Stupid Kira!_ She felt something cold and heavy around her wrist and two snicks of metal against metal. Jerking her hand away from the warm fingers under her own she found them following with a clink and wincing cold pressure around her joint and heard the salt shaker clatter to the table top. She looked down, dumbstruck to see what might have been her worst nightmare.

"What in the -!"

Ignoring the man across from her who was now handcuffed to her she turned to where her brother had been sitting a moment before to find him sprinting with an obviously disapproving Lacus in tow towards the only car, parked on the asphalt up a small rise off the sand.

"KIRA!" Jumping up she tried to pursue him but was only brought crashing back with a throbbing wrist and shoulder. "Ouch!"

"Cagalli, are you ok? Wait a minute while I –" Still ignoring the guy across from her she dragged him along while she also tried to untangle herself from the park bench.

"KIRA what do you think you're doing! Get back here!"

Hoisting something glistening high over his head he yelled back "I have both keys and we're taking the car. We'll be back tomorrow morning, you guys better have this sorted out by then! See ya Cags! And Athrun, don't you lay a finger on her or else this is the least of your problems!"

Lacus added her own simple "good night!" before she was ushered into the car.

Pounding across the sand to the slope and parking above it she heard the car start and heard Kira put it into gear. "Oh no you don't!" she grunted to herself then bellowed "I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS, I'LL FRATRICIDE YOU! I'LL _TWINICIDE_ YOU KIRA YAMATO!"

"Cagalli! Slow down, you're going to get –" came behind her as she continued to tow her own mandatory companion.

Flinging her bodyweight forward to carry her up the small rise Cagalli instead found herself snapped backwards to smack solidly into someone's very solid chest and then collapsing in a heap in the sand as an engine roared away.


	2. Chapter 2: I Plead the Fifth

**Chapter 2: I Plead the 5th**

Blinking dazedly for a moment she saw a green polo shirt with two open buttons displaying a lightly tanned neck and collarbone right in front of her nose. The collarbone smelled nice and shifting she found an arm curled tightly around her waist pressing her up to something warm.

 _Holy Crap!_ She finally realized that she was lying on someone's chest. Plus there was some muted groaning coming from underneath her. Cagalli tried to move but found her legs tangled with the person beneath her; a person who felt and smelled way too good and who had yet to help her get up. Recalling what had just happened there was only one person it could be.

Finally she got up her nerve. "Athrun?"

A pained whisper met her inquiry "You ok?"

 _Don't move. Don't think._ "Yes. You?"

"I'll be fine." His strained voice continued "I just got the wind knocked out of me." Cagalli realized that he'd taken all of the force of the fall, cushioning her into the hard sand resulting with him being squashed like a bug. And she was still on top of him!

She could feel her cheeks flaming "I'm so sorry! Just give me a second" She tried to wriggle out of his hold and out from under his legs but found the arm around her waist curled tighter.

"Sorry, just stop moving for a minute ok? I'll –" his words were cut off while he coughed from the pain and she carefully slid her unshackled hand down between his arm and side to the ground, slightly easing her weight off of him with it and doing the same with her knees around his own legs then kept very still.

Finally when his coughing subsided she asked "better?" And was met with what felt like a nod into her hair. Tightening his arm briefly as if to embrace her, Athrun then released his hold entirely, allowing her to roll herself off of him towards their handcuffed hands.

Staring up at the flawless blue sky that was fading into twilight she let her anger have sway, "Why did you stop me?! We could have gotten him and ended this – plus beaten him to a pulp and blamed it on him swimming into a buoy!"

Athrun, still on his back, raised his left hand and index finger asking for another minute while he further caught his breath. "First – you did that all by yourself, how was I supposed to know you were going to throw yourself like that? How's your shoulder by the way?" Cagalli held slipping reins on her ire as she let him take another careful breath, knowing it wasn't done. "Lastly, we weren't going to catch him, you're not even wearing shoes and there's broken glass up there. The only thing you would have caught is a trip to the hospital for stitches."

This is what had changed in their dynamic: Athrun suddenly acted like she was a fragile flower that couldn't do anything. He went from being her partner in crime (aside from Kira and to a degree Lacus) to treating her like she would break or get hurt just by doing the normal stunts she'd always done. And with time it seemed to get even worse. Somewhere along the line she'd lost her friend and gained a babysitter. She replied around gnashing teeth. "You could have kept up if you wanted to, besides I remembered the glass" Ok, she really hadn't but she _could_ have avoided it if she wanted "and I can take care of myself! You didn't need to cushion me like that either, look at you!" She made the mistake of doing just that.

Luckily his eyes were closed as he got back his wind, but it made him look like he was peacefully sleeping with the wind gently playing with his hair along his strong jaw. He looked amazing. "Better me than you."

Athrun Zala was indeed infuriating "RRRrgh! Why? Because you're a man? That's just sexist!" Trying to get up in disgust she found his handcuffed hand holding her back by her upper arm.

"Wait, otherwise you'll only make it worse." She felt the hold turn feather light and stroking and snapped her head down to see his eyes now open and his fingers gently tracing what looked to be welts on her arm from their shackled chase. Now that she noticed them she could feel the throb all the way to her shoulder and released her breath in a hiss. As if in reply he continued. "Exactly. Kira's already going to kill me, that is, if I don't kill him first."

Snort "Why? Because he got the drop on you? You'll have to wait in line because as his sister I get first dibs."

"Sure. Whatever." He sat up and looked straight at her with what seemed way too pleasant a look. "well, I'm still hungry, how about you?"

She pretended that a dime a dozen shell by her toe was fascinating. "Seriously? You're going to let him get away with this?" Looking over towards the road she contemplated her options.

"Cagalli. He took the only car; the nearest town is over five miles away. If he doesn't come back soon then we can always try calling and using the parental powers that be to put the fear of heaven into him." His placating voice was getting on her nerves. She wanted action: she wanted Kira's head on a plate. Then her stomach growled again…but first she'd have dinner.

Sighing she scratched at her head in frustration. Without thinking she'd used the cuffed hand which Athrun obligingly brought his own closer to her so that she could. This was going to get old fast. Oh who was she kidding – it was old after three seconds. Her hackles were up and she was having to shove all of her emotions down to avoid the explosion that was coming. Moving to rise she found him already on his feet and taking her cuffed hand in his own he helped her up. Once standing she tried to shake him off but instead he just held her hand and started leading her back to the table.

"You don't need to hold my hand! Hey – let go!" No response, just his strong back in profile before her pulling her along and warm calluses against her own "Athrun!"

Still walking, he partially turned around. "I was starting to think you'd forgotten my name." Gently squeezing her hand he added "this will hurt less and keep us from jarring each other repeatedly. Unless you want to explain to your mom how you ended up dislocating your shoulder. It will definitely lead to even worse questions, like 'how did you manage to not sleep in the same tent?'"

"Oh crap" she moaned.

"So, let's eat, try to get these off and then we'll plan on how to kill Kira."

Filled with relief that he hadn't given up and was still on her side at the moment she gave a simple one word reply. "Deal!"

* * *

AN: Little chapter but this story is complete; I try not to upload them otherwise - I can't stand the suspense of not finishing a fic.


	3. Chapter 3: I Need Two Hands for This

Chapter 3: I need two hands for this.

Eating dinner was harder than it seemed. Cagalli had gotten off easy by reaching for the salt with her left hand and therefore could still eat uninhibited but Athrun unfortunately had reached with his likewise dominant right; which meant that not only did they have to sit next to each other to eat, but Cagalli could tell he felt mortified by asking her to lift her left hand up just so he could have the range to spoon the stew. Even then he seemed embarrassed by this predicament and it took him longer to eat with this careful method so she tried to cheer herself up and distract him up by suggesting ways to kill her brother. By common consent they both stared off into the horizon which was growing brighter with the coming sunset. 

"Hanging" sip. 

Swallow "no rope." 

Sip "Bonfire." 

Chew. "Not enough wood."

Chew "Tire iron." 

Pause. "Yuck"…sip. 

"Key hauled behind the car?" 

"Lacus would cry" chew.

"And she wouldn't if we poisoned him with a jellyfish?" She asked further.

Slurp. Pause… "How would we catch a jellyfish?"

"Trust me: it can be done." Sip.

This time he decided to add his own idea. "…cattle prod?"

"Athrun - those don't kill, and did you even bring one?" 

Swallow. "Yes: I know, but death might be too good for him and no: I didn't."

Heaving a sigh she looked around the campsite leaning on her elbows with her hands in her hair. "They left us with the clean up too! I am so going to get him."

Looking over she realized that she'd moved his hand with her action. His left hand held the roasted corn and his right held the spoon. There was a clear line of stew smeared across his face and then dribbled on his shorts, the bench between them and then on her sleeve…and hair. Looking rather sheepish he grimaced. "Sorry about that."

She blinked once, twice, then erupted into laughter – the great kind that echoes and can't be faked or held in. Dropping the corn Athrun reached over and retrieved his spoon before it emptied the rest of its load and waited for her to finish. Wiping tears from her amber eyes she leaned over with the help of his outstretched arm and retrieved the napkins. Sitting in shock from seeing her laugh so hard Athrun seemed caught off guard again as she wiped the stew from his face like he was a kid, then watched her as she continued to clean up the mess he'd, well, they'd made – including daubing the spot on his shorts before cleaning up herself. "Have you had enough?"

Did Athrun just gulp? "Are you thirsty? I sure am." Reaching she drained her plastic cup and checked his. She could deal with him a lot better this way; at least he was pretending they were on equal footing since they were each handicapped by the other.

"No…I'm good." Shaking his head he started to get up. "We better get this cleaned up. I figure we can look for something to get these" he shook his manacled wrist "off in the process. And just in case we can't we'll still be ready to bunk down."

"Well we better. Let's get looking. I wonder if the tent stakes and mallet were left out of the car." She didn't want to think of the alternative.

* * *

AN: I am truly evil. :D


	4. Chapter 4: Kira Yamato Must Die

**Chapter 4: Kira Yamato Must Die**

Half an hour of tedious teamwork they hadn't found the tent stakes or mallet, or much of anything to get them out of this mess including their cell phones. The only phone that had been left was the emergency car phone that had an almost dead battery and only connected to a tow service or the police.

Surveying their meager cache Athrun shook his head. "I don't know what's scarier: Kira planning this so well, or Kira pulling this off so well."

Cagalli surprised him by shooting down one option "I don't think we should call the police unless the situation gets worse."

He thought in silence for a moment until he regarded her shrewdly while she carefully avoided eye contact. "That sounds logical, but what aren't you telling me?"

"Oh, just that years ago Kira might have scared me half to death with a fake Portuguese-man-of-war that he'd constructed out of the recycling bin of plastic bags and six pack rings that he brought and hid in the water for me to find…which ended up in having half the counties cops coming to manage the panic I caused with everyone on this very beach when we were 12." She found herself fiddling with the hem of her shirt "they don't really roll out the red carpet for us around here."

Palming his face he wasn't sure with whom to be more frustrated: Kira then or Kira now. "Got it: last resort."

Which meant that all they really had to work with was some bobby pins (courtesy of Cagalli), the camping steel ladle (courtesy of Athrun), first aid kit tweezers (Athrun), nail file (courtesy of Lacus), and a rock (courtesy of the beach and Cagalli).

Had she been in a better mood – or at least better situation – what ensued would have been considered hilarious. They both tried various methods of hitting, whacking, poking, picking, jarring and levering each part of the handcuffs for the more part of an hour. Athrun was bent over giving Lacus's nail file – which they were certain was left as a saving grace from their friend to foil Kira's plan – another try. They'd both alternately tried each keyhole, sometimes smacking heads with their proximity.

"I really wish we knew what the key looked like" Athrun said to himself for about the fifth time. At the moment he was bending over her wrist's manacle trying to lever the inner notched clasp to slip out with the nail file. The sun was setting and between it and the firelight riotous hues were thrown through his hair highlights.

"Do you want me to try again?" She asked his bent head.

"Nah, I think that I almost got it…this time for sure. Besides you're tired aren't you?" He shook his hair back to keep it out of his eyes in the waning light. She slowly moved her free hand to brush it back for him and then lightly held it there, barely touching his warm neck. He froze for a second then kept working. "Thanks."

Cagalli could hear the weariness in his voice. When did he start taking on so much? When did Athrun stop being the guy who did crazy things and instead took on responsibility of others? Oh he'd always been honorable with a sense of fair play and he didn't go looking for fights – but he hadn't always been so _very_ cautious, so protective. She felt that somehow she didn't measure up in his mind anymore and now she had been reduced to a child – a troublesome child at that.

Seconds later he frantically worked the nail file until he suddenly stopped. "I lost it. At least that is if I ever had it." She let his hair pool around his face again as his shouldered sloped.

Biting her lip she ventured what neither of them wanted to say. "Maybe we should give it a rest and get some sleep." Carefully feeling up her side to her shoulder Athrun pushed her back before leaning up to avoid another head-on collision. Cagalli tried to suppress the shiver she felt from his motion. Looking up at him this close she remembered how much taller he was than her.

Sighing he looked at her straight in the eye, his green orbs serious. "Are you really ok with that?"

She returned his sincerity with a glare. "What other option do we have?" He looked away and heaved another sigh.

"There is one thing I have to do before that though." She tried to whisper in case it would make the situation any better.

Seeing him turn her way Cagalli avoided his gaze once again. "What is it?"

Hoping he couldn't see her blush she finished "I need to go to the bathroom."

"Kira's not getting out of this unscathed is he?"

She shook her head. "Not a chance."

* * *

AN: Well at least their talking...


	5. Chapter 5: Singing My Song

**Chapter 5: Singing My Song**

Athrun of course was a gentleman and let her go first – she didn't know if that was embarrassing or not, but if he had no problem doing his business in their situation she'd rather know after than before her own turn. Luckily their position made it possible for him to remain outside, barely. Still, she came up against a mortifying problem.

"Sing something!" She called through the green fiber glass of the beach's porter potty.

"Any requests?" She could hear his bemusement and it was making things worse.

"Anything! Just help me out here, Sheesh!"

It took her a moment to place what he started belting out right beside the latrine, especially since she could hardly make sense of it through the wall: 

_"A knight of the Table Round should be invincible!  
Succeed where a less fantastic man would fail.  
Climb a wall no one else can climb,  
Cleave a dragon in record time,  
Swim a moat in a coat of heavy iron mail."_

"I almost wish I could fall in…" Cagalli murmured to herself. To her further dismay he chose something they'd seen as a group recently when they were too hyped up on sugar to know better; the consequences of watching Camelot the musical were almost as ridiculous as watch the Montey Python version. And he kept singing! And she suddenly found him absolutely ridiculous and tried to tamp down on the giggles that were creeping up inside her despite the slight stench.

 _"No matter the pain, he ought to be unwinceable!  
Impossible deeds should be his daily fare.  
But where in the world  
Is there in the world  
A man so *extraordinaire*?_

 _"C'est moi! C'est moi, I'm forced to admit.  
'Tis I, I humbly reply—"*_

Trying to hold in her laughter with splitting sides she gasped out "I can't do this when I'm laughing Athrun!"

Thankfully he stopped. She thought she heard him mutter "everyone's a critic" before launching into this next rendition in falsetto.

 _"In the Jungle – the_ mighty _jungle the lion sleeps tonight. Oh_ in _the jungle the mighty jungle-"**_

She tried to cut him off before he hit his stride. "Not any better!"

He paused. Then started on some emo band song:

 _"Show me what it's like  
To dream in black and white,  
So I can leave this world tonight._

 _Holding on too tight.  
Breathe the breath of life,  
So I can leave this world behind. "***_

It worked. It's really hard to avoid looking at someone when they are about three inches away from you but they somehow managed as they switched spots. Without being told she wracked her brain. Landing on the first song she could think of she started up despite feeling self-conscious:

 _"Well, I'd like to visit the moon_

 _On a rocket ship high in the air._

 _Yes, I'd like to visit the moon_

 _But I don't think I'd like to live there._

 _Though I'd like to look down at the earth from above,_

 _I would miss all the places and people I love._

 _So although I might like it for one afternoon:_

 _I don't want to live on the moon."****_

Just after one verse and the chorus the door creaked open. She didn't even want to think about how fast he was, nor that maybe he'd been holding it this whole time. Instead she just pulled him along with the order of "soap, lots of soap."

Walking over to the spigot and turning it on she found his hands rubbing and sharing the soap bar in her own. "Hey –" 

"Deal" he smirked.

Rising off and then washing the handle they turned to washing their faces and then by silent agreement went to brushing their teeth with the toothbrushes they'd laid out before. After gargling despite her watching him do so Athrun finally broke the silence. "So, where am I sleeping?"

Cagalli blinked. "Uh… obviously in a separate sleeping bag like a gentleman."

"No. I mean inside or outside the tent?" he patiently explained.

The situation was grating on her every nerve, but still it wasn't his fault. She let slip a sigh, "Athrun, not even I would wish malaria on my worst enemy – except for Kira right now – so obviously inside the tent where you won't get eaten _alive_." To punctuate her point she smacked a mosquito on her arm. It was obviously past her bedtime. "Come 'on, we'll sleep in our cloths."

* * *

AN: The song lyrics used are the following: * _C'est moi_ from the musical Camelot, composed by Frederick Loewe and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner; ** _The Lion Sleeps Tonight_ by Token; *** _Unknown Soldier_ by Breaking Benjamin and **** _I Don't Want to Live on the Moon_ by Sesame Street.


	6. Chapter 6: Stranger Than Your Simpathy

**Chapter 6: Stranger Than Your Sympathy**

 _Stranger than your sympathy  
And this is my apology  
I killed myself from the inside out  
And all my fears have pushed you out_

 _And I wished for things that I don't need (All I wanted)  
And what I chased won't set me free (It's all I wanted)  
And I get scared but I'm not crawlin' on my knees_

 _Sympathy – Goo Goo Dolls*_

Transferring his sleeping bag and mat to the girls' tent and shoving things to the side they settled down for the night in the camping lamp's glow. It wasn't exactly roomy, due to their predicament, but the four man tent could fit them both well for just a night. Ever considerate Athrun asked if she wanted the screen open on the tent door.

"Uh, you decide." Suddenly she understood why he had been heaving such sighs all evening: sleeping at slumber parties or falling asleep as a big group was normal and comfortable, but somehow in the dim light of the camping lantern she felt more aware of what she felt instead of saw.

She couldn't explain it but her back felt hot just knowing that he was behind her as she had turned away from him again. Struggling one-handed with the bag's zipper she felt him shift and was startled by his free hand next to hers holding the fabric steady. "Thanks. Need any help?" She asked lamely. Cagalli noticed that he withdrew his hand as soon as she had enough room to get in.

"…I got it." Why did everything feel so quiet in the dark? She could hardly hear him, "How's your hand?"

Turning her wrist she examined the fading welts. "It'll be fine. You?" She bent over his own and even in the faint light saw angry red marks, bruising and some raw patches. "Athrun! Did I do that!?" Cagalli reached to draw his right hand nearer.

He actually tried to draw his hand away – rather futile in the situation, "it's no big deal." Fisting her hand she tried to use the pressure on the cuffs to keep his hand still but when seeing him wince took her free hand to grab his arm.

"It is not! Look at that, I'm surprised you're not bleeding! Where's your first aid kit?" Looking around she spotted the small white box. "Ha! You already thought of that." Busying herself with opening the clasp and sorting through the contents she stopped to finally look up at him, pinning him with her gaze. "Were you going to do this while I was asleep?"

From his second gulp of the night she guessed he could read the accusation in her voice and was aware that somehow, in some way he was in trouble. "Only if it got worse. Mostly I brought it in for …you?" His voice rose into a question when her eyes narrowed.

Suddenly she was too tired to hold her shoulders up against the weight of disappointment and she dropped her gaze to sift through the kit. She pulled out a pair of ibuprofen tables for both of them and each took them with water, all the while she avoided his eyes. He was still treating her like a child – even though she'd hurt him with all of her earlier antics by taking the force all of her stressed movements which caught him off guard. Once again it was him who broke the silence "Cagalli, it's not your fault. It just – "

Finding what she needed she cut him off with a slight pull and a " – give it here." Settling right before her she knew that he was looking at her with his fathomless green eyes but the blonde bent to her task, gently applying ointment and then wrapping a bandage around and up his wrist in hopes of cushioning it in the night.

Tying it off she moved to put it away but he stopped her. "Fair's fair" he said reaching for the ointment.

"No way!" trying to dislodge his hold and bat away the nearing medicine was useless in turn "this is nothing. It doesn't even bother me!"

Finally grabbing her free hand in his he pulled her forward to slip and pin it gently but firmly under his knee, leaving her about face level with his sternum. "Why do you always have to act so tough all the time? What are you trying to prove?"

She could feel him smearing the ointment onto her wrist and she started trying to wiggle her hand free from his weight. "Stop that!" Here Athrun was again looking after her and she couldn't help her emotions finally boiling over. "I hate being looked down on! So just stop already!"

When he stopped supporting her cuffed wrist she almost face-planted onto his lap. "You think I'm looking down on you?" She ignored him again. "Nuh-uh, that won't work this time," he released her hand from under his weight to grab it with his own. Even when he drew her up she resolutely look at the nylon floor. She thought she was ready to counter any anger he might have, but was surprised when she felt him calm and then gently tilt her chin up with his index knuckle. "You mean to tell me all this time you've been angry at me because you thought when I was being nice I was looking down on you?"

Looking into the sincerity of his eyes she felt petty and wanted to explain. And she found all of the words she'd been holding come tumbling out. "It's because you never acted this way before! You used to trust me to take care of myself and we could just have fun messing around but now – now you're always doubting my ability and treating me like a child."

Once the dam was open her tongue couldn't stop, "I feel like I can't talk to you without you judging what I'm saying or doing! I feel like I've fallen behind and you won't take me seriously and I've given up trying to get your respect back, because no matter what I do you don't change!" Ugh, she hated this, blinking hard she forced the oncoming tears back and looked away.

She wanted to just leave it alone, let what they had between them die as time passed. She knew that not all friendships lasted forever and figured with the new school year the distance of different classes would have eased it, made the change more subtle; a natural separation of sorts. That way she could stop hurting – _aching_ – for something more between them.

Cagalli felt the tears pool and overflow onto her lashes. She didn't want him to know. She didn't want him to see her weak when he was always calm and composed, acting unaffected. But looking back up into his emerald eyes she thought she saw the same hurt reflected from her own heart.

Without a word he gently pulled up her right short sleeve and traced the scarred skin over her humerus. "I almost got you killed." His voice was flat, like he was trying to keep himself detached, as he recalled that day, the day he refused to speak of.

"Four months ago I egged you on to jump out of that tree into the lake at a height I wouldn't have even dared with my weight. I heard it creaking when you reached it; I heard the branch snap before you could jump far enough to clear the rocks." He fell silent for a moment, when his voice returned it was distant, caught in the memory. "There was blood everywhere – your head, your _arm_. I'd never seen you cry so hard before that and even though you were in so much pain you never complained or blamed me. I had to watch while Kira gave you first aid because I couldn't think straight. I carried you to the car while you cried in my arms and passed out from shock." His eyes met hers as his emotions started slipping through, edged with pain and guilt, "you were so small, so frail and so human…and hurt." He swallowed hard.

She had purposefully avoided the memory of that day. All four of them had gone to the lake near Kira and hers aunt and uncle's house. It had been a perfect spring day, just warm enough for a swim and she knew it was deep enough to jump if she could get past the shore and rocks. She'd been so scared, but she had wanted Athrun to notice her more. So she'd asked for a dare, letting her temper get the best of her and then him also – and without their knowing the consequences were disastrous, for once it was more than any of them could handle.

She remembered the collapse of wood and the fall, the pain slicing through her, the snap and give in her body right before her head cracked next; she'd been cold, disoriented, sticky with what she learned was her own blood, her friends trying to block the view of her own bone breaking through. Cagalli only had a fuzzy memory of Athrun's strong arms supporting and warming her while Kira kept awful pressure on her arm's vein all the while running back to the nearby house. Lacus had run ahead yelling for her aunt Muruue and uncle Mwu then rushing her to the hospital.

Cagalli had a concussion and a compound fracture. After surgery her upper arm had been in a cast for two painful months and then she'd participated in strenuous physical therapy for another two. Since that day Athrun had never talked about it. Until now.

Athrun's voice pulled her back. "I promised myself that I would never let you get hurt again if I could help it. But even before you were healed you were doing crazy things again. And when Kira or Lacus or I wouldn't support you, you started doing them on your own – or worse pulling stunts with Shinn and Ahmed who don't have any sense at all." He paused after naming her less than cautious classmates; then he looked away in shame at what he admitted next. "So I stood in your way: I argued with you, I hounded you, and I never told you why because I didn't want you to remember and hold it against me. And when you tried to withdraw further I kept you close – afraid to lose you. Afraid that you'd get hurt again and I wouldn't be there, then afraid that you'd stop being my friend because you started pushing me away." His words tapered off to a whisper, his eyes closed tight with a furrowed brow.

Opening his eyes his look turned to one of dismay. "Please don't cry. I'm so sorry – I didn't mean to make such a mess of everything."

Wiping the new tear stains from her face she gave him what felt like a watery smile. "I'm sorry I've been so defensive. I-I shouldn't have avoided you, if nothing else I should have beat you up until you could have forgiven yourself." Her joke was punctuated by his short laugh.

Nuzzling his forehead to hers he quietly asked "Will you forgive me?"

Sometime during his retelling his arms had wound around her gently but firmly, his strength and warmth warding off the dropping temperature of the night. She snuggled deeper despite her blushing face. "I forgave you four months ago – if I even held it against you then. Just don't treat me like glass, I won't break. Besides, you won't let me." Her warm tone belied the hidden smile she kept against his heartbeat.

Drawing her cheek to his shoulder he replied as he met her eyes "I promise you I'll try not to smother you anymore, but I will still keep protecting you." At her coming reprimand he soldiered on. "I can't not take care of the people I love."

Cagalli gasped before she could catch herself as he nuzzled her hair with his jaw. "Especially the person I love the most."

"Athrun…" she whispered his name in awe. Overcome with emotions she couldn't face him, but instead ducking her head she once again took a leap, this time by breathing "I love you too" into his ear.

"I need to see your face. _Oh, Cagalli_." Drawing back he framed her face with his hands; her own rested lightly on his arms and trembled as he looked towards her lips. Slowly, giving her time to choose, he closed the distance. Waiting a hairsbreadth away she met him tenderly.

Kindly, gently, they touched, revealing all of their emotions and hopes. Eyes closed they softly reveled in the feel of how deeply such simple contact could reach. Their spell broke with Cagalli's shiver.

Pulling back they noticed the chill of the tent. Chaffing her tee shirt exposed arms he crossed the silence. "We should get you warm." Sensing her disappointment Athrun chuckled. "That doesn't mean we have to stop."

Her cheeks flushed, misinterpreting him. "Um…well, maybe … we should… just sleep – if that's ok with you?"

Athrun answered her uncertainty with a sweet smile "sorry, I meant that we should tuck you in. Can I hold you?" She gave a simple nod as her own smile stole over her features.

Ensconcing her and them himself in their separate sleeping bags Athrun spooned behind her as close as the padding would allow with his arm around her waist due to the handcuffs. On the first notes of a lullaby hummed behind her she relaxed into the embrace. "Goodnight Athrun."

She felt more than heard his reply. "Goodnight Cagalli."

* * *

AN: *Awesome song and I suggest you check it out if you haven't heard it. The only non-profane version that I could find was released on _A_ _Cinderella Story_ soundtrack, which is a hilarious movie by the way: All the way from Norwija!


	7. Chapter 7: It's All Your Fault

**Chapter 7: It's All Your Fault***

Morning had barely penetrated the sky when a pair of soft footfalls slipped through the powdery sand. "Well at least they cooperated enough to clean the campsite but where could they be?" came a clear tenor.

"Let's check the tents. It was cold outside last night and due to the circumstances they'd have to choose one or the other" rang a sweet soprano.

The male groaned "I should have put the spare in the car, that way we would have made it back last night to unlock them and avoid having them sleep together …but not _together_ —you know what I mean!"

"It's already over Kira, what's done is done. You'll just have to accept the consequences." She responded with more good humor than her companion.

The gnashing of a zipper roused Cagalli barely before the light landed on her; it was with blurry eyes that she puzzled why her brother had a look of abject horror on his face. She always slept in, so why the dramatics?

Then strong arms tightened around her and she felt someone bury their face in the hair at the back of her head and neck. "Knock it off Kira, it's too bright in here."

Oh yeah. That would definitely tick him off. "What are you two doing!? I wanted you both to make up not make out! And get your hands off her you pervert!"

His antics drew Lacus's pleasant face to appear beside his own in the tent door. "Good Morning Cagalli, Athrun."

Pulling her even closer she could even feel Athrun smirking before he turned his head towards the couple at the opening "Good Morning Lacus, Kira. You know that might be an option…if you'd give us the key."

Without another word Kira threw them and Athrun deftly caught them with his available left hand but her brother stayed angrily standing in the doorway. Bending near her ear Athrun whispered "Good Morning Cagalli."

Feeling a blush once again coloring her face she replied simply "Good Morning to you too." 

Leaning up and over her he undid her cuff and examined her wrist around the bandage. "Does it still hurt?"

She shook her head then avoided his intense gaze by undoing his own cuff and turned the appendage over, "Not much. You?" 

"Never better." Looking up Cagalli saw the smile that was clear in his voice. His face changed quickly to a frown at the complaints from the door.

"Look, knock it off. I'm sorry that we got back late; I meant to be back last night, so you can stop with the act!" Her older brother was certainly acting his part, glaring daggers with his amethyst eyes.

Lacus on the other hand stood there smiling sweetly herself at the two woken friends which reminded Cagalli she had forgotten her manners "Good Morning Lacus, Kira. I'm glad to see that you both got back ok. How was your night?"

"I don't really want to talk about it – " Muttered her brother until Lacus cut him off with her usual good humor. 

"Just awful. The car blew a flat; since there was no spare we had to be towed and then wait for the shop to open." Her friend wore her usual smile so Cagalli knew that she wasn't really put out but instead was using it to tease Kira.

Jumping in with a guilty expression Kira fired back "'what about yours, I see you both are in one piece so it wasn't a total failure."

She could feel Athrun staring at her and felt his words rumble through her back "Wonderful. Thank you Kira." 

"Really" she echoed "thank you both of you." 

"What? That's it!? I really thought I'd be signing my death warrant coming back here, and instead I find… This!" He gestured at his best friend and little sister still snuggling in their sleeping bags.

"Honestly Kira, I don't know why you are complaining. You were the one who worked so hard to get us closer. We're just closer than you anticipated." Seeing him still floundering for words Cagalli helped him further "I want this. I really mean that: I've wanted this for a very long time. So please be happy for us?"

Rarely used sincerity from his sister was Kira's weak point. "Athrun?"

She felt a nod into her hair, "Yes. It's for real; you know I'd never do anything to hurt her ever again."

Looking from Cagalli to Athrun to Lacus Kira realized that all eyes were turned on him. He gave his girlfriend a look that said "you too?" to which she nodded in reply.

Sighing deeply Kira looked back at the couple in question. "Alright, I don't like it, but I'll accept it. You'll still have to tell our parents. Now, just get up you two!" With that he stormed away from the tent.

As their other friend turned to leave Cagalli hazarded a question "Lacus, did you leave your nail file on purpose?"

The strawberry blond bit her lib a bit guiltily. "About that; I was fairly certain it wouldn't work, but if all else failed I figured it would get you talking." Then, Lacus regarded them with her blue eyes as sweetly as ever. "I'm so happy for you both" and then turned and helped Kira take down camp.

Stretching next to her, Athrun mused "I thought you were going to at least bruise or maim him."

She shook her head "Nah, this is ironically better with much less drama. This way we won't have to keep convincing him and there won't be any doubt." She continued after he opened his eyes and focused on her. "I don't want to hide this from anyone – that's how happy I am with you. Plus, Kira won't be able to say a thing more since he did it to himself." 

"I'd like to think we'd have a hand in it." 

"Actually we had two." She grinned evilly. 

Athrun winced "Ouch, I walked right into that didn't I?" 

The tent came down around them, ensconcing them in the nylon mesh. "Get a move on you two! Breakfast is a waitin'! And leave the PDA to a minimum!" Came Kira's voice over Cagalli's light laughter accompanied by Athrun's chuckle.

Cagalli and Athrun made their way out of the collapsed tent, lacing their fingers together they slowly walked into the morning. Holding hands felt infinity better when it was a choice and not a constraint and they each weren't planning on letting go anytime soon. 

The End

 _You are the bearer of unconditional things  
You held your breath and the door for me  
Thanks for your patience_

You're the best listener that I've ever met  
You're my best friend  
Best friend with benefits  
What took me so long

I've never felt this healthy before  
I've never wanted something rational  
I am aware now  
I am aware now

You've already won me over in spite of me  
And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet  
Don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are  
I couldn't help it  
*It's all your fault

 _Head Over Feet – Alanis Morsette_

* * *

AN: Thanks for reading! Please send a review, I'd love to get input or just hear if you liked it. :)


End file.
